Floored! NRA Show 2008 News

Saving money = saving planet

One thing we keep hearing at the NRA show is the economic advantages of going green. So we talked to a few exhibitors who make eco-friendly lighting.

Take William Stauffer, vice president, Eco-Story, Portland, Maine, who describes a 12-month surge in interest in the company's LED-based lighting.

Eco-Story's products promise 90 percent energy reduction when compared with traditional lighting, last 20 to 45 times as long, don't contain the mercury or harmful substances you find in fluorescent bulbs, and fit in existing fixtures. They cost more per bulb but pay for themselves in a year and a half, Stauffer says. Eco-Story's website offers a calculator to determine how much you can save.

Luma Vue is out to get more people using LED technology as well, calling the NRA Show a "coming out party." Their ultra-thin LED panels power eye-catching message boards, signs, posters, hi-tech chalkboards, and other displays that last much longer and use substantially less energy than those powered by traditional lighting technologies.

"The new trend is moving into sustainability products. You can save a lot on energy costs and at the same time be environmentally conscious," said Luma Vue's Steve Schotta. "The whole green movement is happening, and the NRA is a leader in that."

LEDgen told us why conventional rope lighting starts looking yellow after a few years. It's not the age or the sun; it's the heat of those tiny incandescent bulbs cooking the plastic. That's not where restaurant operators want to be doing their cooking, so LEDgen offers LED versions of those lights, along with retro-fit screw-in LED bulbs and LED tubes to replace neon lighting.

The energy savings, durability and safety of their products are a hit at the NRA show this year, which LEDgen's David Fred knows spells even more success in the future. "Interest at the show always translates into what will happen in the actual business very soon."

Check out these and other companies offering LED technology at the NRA show.

Attendee checking out equipment, sessions

William Drake, The Lobster Trap, Asheville, NC:

This is a working vacation for me; I’m looking for new products and ingredients. The main thing I’m on the lookout for is steamers.

I’m planning to open my own restaurant, so I’m looking forward to all the sessions on small business information.

Driving sales to beat price rises

When costs start spiraling out of control, you can fight back two ways: Control your costs, or drive more sales. A roundtable of food industry vets shared their tips for bumping up sales with attendees at the NRA Show.

• Embrace limited-time offers. Dairy Queen International has received a great consumer response from its Blizzard of the Month and other limited-time offers, said Michael Ochs, vice president of supply chain services.
• Cover more dayparts. In tough times, consumers might decide to brown-bag their lunches. Compass Group, which serves corporate dining, education and healthcare facilities, offers consumers more opportunities to buy by selling at breakfast and snacktime, said Michael Barner, vice president of field systems solutions.
• Work the hot trends. Green dining, socially responsible sourcing and fair trade products are all trends that consumers are willing to pay more for. Work those angles and play them up as much as possible, said Barner.
• Emphasize value. Offer combo meals, smaller portions, reduced prices and other value concepts. For example, Dairy Queen International will be launching a 99-cent hot dog and other value-menu options, said Ochs said. 

Controlling costs in uncertain times

Food prices are soaring. Consumers don’t want to spend. Fuel costs a fortune. Labor is more expensive. You can’t do anything about this. Here’s what you can do to control costs, according to a round table of food-service experts at NRA.

Know what you’re buying. All of the experts extolled the virtues of amassing real-time data. Not only can you discover where to streamline your vendors — consolidating 50 sources of ham to a handful, for example — you can make sure your locations are actually buying from those handful of ham suppliers.

Audit, audit, audit. You can make a great deal with your distributor, but that doesn’t help you if all your operations aren’t paying the correct price. “On average, 1.2 percent to 1.8 percent of food costs come from mispriced items,” said William Yaglou, executive vice president of customer development at Instill Corporation.  Those pricing discrepancies can add up to big bucks. Ron Hall, vice president of Senior Resources Alliance, caught fairly large discrepancies in coffee, chemicals and fuel – discrepancies that added up to $16,000 over 3 months.

Evaluate portions and ingredients. Do you need to use large eggs, or will medium eggs do? Can you use thinner slices of cheese on sandwiches? Do you really need to use only white-meat chicken in chicken salad ? Every bit helps.

Economists are your friends. Dairy Queen International works with an economist to project where prices are going, said Michael Ochs, vice president of supply chain services. The company can then lock in deals with distributors for 12 to 18 month, avoiding price fluctuations.

NRA Show-related activities begin

We're in Chicago and ready for the NRA Show to begin.

But before the Show opens May 17, we get to attend some fun and interesting functions related to the Show.

One of them is the NRA's Marketing Executives Group meeting. Known as "MEG," the event brings together a fun-loving and talented group of marketing professionals from the restaurant industry.

MEG's spring meeting began last night with a tasty dinner and remarks from NRA Chairman Dawn Sweeney, who came up from the marketing and business development ranks herself. "My professional, lifelong passion — like many of you — is building business," Sweeney told the group.

Everytime the MEG attendees promote their operations, they advance the restaurant industry's reputation for creativity, excellence and leadership, she said.

Incoming NRA Chairman Michael Kaufman, co-president of Enovo Restaurant Ventures, shared highlights from his career, including eating at 100 Ponderosa restaurants in 20 days and having chocolate ice cream delivered to an unhappy customer while Ponderosa tested orange-flavored soft-serve ice cream.

We'll tell you more about those highlights — and the touching video about the restaurant industry Kaufman previewed — after he's officially named NRA chairman this weekend.

65 great opportunities to enhance your business

Top industry experts will lead more than 65 free education sessions at this year's NRA Show. The wide range of topics allow you and your team to focus on getting the answers you need for the challenges facing your operation.

This year's presenters come from a wide range of backgrounds but have one common goal: to help your restaurant reach new heights.

One presentation that will certainly draw a good crowd is Word-of-Mouth Marketing for Restaurants: Fill the Room Without Spending Money. Noted author and speaker Andy Sernovitz will share his five simple steps for increasing traffic to your establishment without dropping major dough.

Trust us — this is one session you shouldn't miss. It's at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 18, in the Technology Pavilion.

This is just one of many free sessions taking place at the Show. Get the full list of all NRA Show education sessions here.

Going to the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event? IWSB attendees also can learn a thing or two at their very own free, highly focused seminars.

Which sessions are on your to-do list?

Save some green with NRA Show's Blue Plate Specials

Among the many, many reasons attendees love the NRA Show are the Blue Plate Specials. Now, you might be asking yourself, "Huh? What are 'Blue Plate Specials?' And how are they 'special?' Everyone's telling me everything is 'special' these days."

Well, you have a good point. But just hear us out.

Blue Plate Specials are deals exhibitors give customers who stop by their booths and place orders during the Show. Blue Plate Specials include discounts on items such as apparel and computer software as well as free trials and consultations. Check out the Blue Plate Specials Web site for a comprehensive list.

These days it never hurts to keep a few extra dollars in your pocket, right?

Are you an exhibitor who wants to drive more traffic to your booth? All you need to do is log onto the Exhibitor Information Manager, and submit your promotion online.

Blue Plate Specials are indeed special, wouldn't you agree?